


Day-to-Day Life in the Domain

by InfraVioletUltraRed



Series: From Radish Farmer to the Zora Royal Consort [7]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2019-05-04 05:31:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14586009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InfraVioletUltraRed/pseuds/InfraVioletUltraRed
Summary: Just a few shortish pieces about small romantic gestures.





	1. Fish Don't Have Hair

**Author's Note:**

> Just a few shortish pieces about small romantic gestures.

You had fallen into the body of water before you, though you weren’t entirely sure how… maybe you had tripped over one of the many fish-shaped vases around the Domain, or slid in a puddle, but sploosh, now you were in the water, and your hair had to start the drying process all over again.   
That is, when you got out of the water. But for now, you looked around as it fanned out beside you, its dampness clinging to your shoulders, and trailing away once it hit the water.

Sidon floated up out of the depths nearby, and swam over to you. “Are you alright? I saw you enter the water, but it didn’t look… intentional…”

“I fell,” you responded, looking away, “but I’m fine.”

“That’s a relief.” He studied you, then, fingers reaching towards the strand of hair nearest to him. “It’s a different color. Is it supposed to do that?”

You laughed. “It’s wet. The light moves through it differently when it’s wet, so it looks darker. So I guess you could say it’s supposed to do that.”

He was playing with the strand of hair now, twirling it around one finger. You moved a little closer to give him slack (so he wouldn’t pull, or at least, not as hard) as he asked, “Does it mean something? Are you sending a signal with it?”

You shook your head. “I only have external control over it, like styling it. You know, how I keep it tied back?” He nodded. “That’s about all I can do with it, other than cut it.”

“Oh, please don’t,” he said quietly, dropping the strand. “It’s so lovely like this.”

_

Finally, your hair was dry. It was time to tie it back, like you normally did.

You were sitting on the rather large rock on the path to the Eastern Reservoir, because other than in their actual rooms, the Zora didn’t really have very many places to sit, and at least on this rock, you could see the whole of the Domain and sit comfortably. And You didn’t have to worry about falling backwards into the water, like you did when you sat on the railings of the pathways around the domain, hands on either side of your body holding on for dear life or dryness—no, you needed your hands to braid your hair, so it had to be this rock.

You had tried—and failed—for the third time to begin a braid behind your head. Maybe you just weren’t focusing. Maybe your hands were shaking? You had been pretty shaken by that fall… Whatever the cause, you were about to just tie your hair into a bun instead to avoid all the hassle. That is, until you heard footsteps approaching your little dry sanctuary.

You immediately straightened from the bent position you had been in, flipping your hair back, and waited for the person to pass you by, or talk to you, if that’s what they came for.

 _Oh_ , you thought as they came fully into view, _it’s Sidon._ You hoped he had come to talk to you…

“I was hoping I would find you here,” he began.

“Oh yeah?” you replied, trying to act confident.

“Yes,” he replied. He looked you over. “Your hair’s back to normal.”

“Yeah,” you smiled, “it’s dry now. I’ve been trying to braid it.”

“Trying? Don’t you normally wear it like that?”

You blushed. “Yes, but… I seem to be having a hard time with it this time.”

“Would you like some help, maybe? I’ve watched you braid your hair before, so I could try. In addition, odd as it may sound… I’d like to touch your hair, anyway… if it’s okay? It just looks so soft.”

Aw. He was so hesitant. “I’d really appreciate that!” You said finally. “And yes, you can touch my hair.” You tried not to giggle, so he wouldn’t think you were laughing at him. You weren’t; you just thought it was cute. He sat down next to you, and you both turned so your back was to him. You swept your hair over your shoulders until it all lay against your back.

Sidon lifted all your hair up in one hand, running the fingers of the other hand through it. “Your hair is so pretty; it catches the light like the water does… but it’s so heavy. Isn’t it a burden?”

“It’s kind of like your caudal fin,” you replied after a moment of thought. “…do you ever turn really fast and accidentally hit yourself in the face with it?”

He laughed. “No, I can’t say that I have. Does that happen often with your hair?”

“Fairly. My friends have learned to duck if they point something out suddenly.”

“I’ll have to keep that in mind.” He said quietly, still running his fingers through your hair. Slowly, he worked his way up from the ends until he was dragging his fingers slowly down from the roots, careful not to pull or dig his nails into the skin of your scalp.

Eventually, he divided your hair into segments and gathered them up, asking you to guide him through the process of braiding hair.

When he was done and you handed him the tie to tie it off, he bent down quickly and you heard a very quiet snap, like a stem breaking, then you felt the slight tug of him tying up the end of the braid.

“And… there you go!” He said, placing a hand on your shoulder to turn you. “You look lovely.”

“Thank you, your highness.” you replied, pulling the braid over your shoulder to run your finger through the end to detangle it and curl it a little, like you always did. When you looked down at the ends of your hair, you saw a flower tucked into the tie holding it all together. You looked up at Sidon and grinned. “The flower’s a nice touch.”

He looked a little pink. “I thought it was fitting, a lovely flower for someone lovely.”


	2. When Soft and Sharp Collide

The rock on the way to the Eastern Reservoir was more or less your spot now. Anytime someone in the Domain was looking for you, the first thing those nearby asked them was, “did you check the path to the reservoir?” This was especially true for Sidon. He would sometimes, if he was free, wander over to the rock and wait for you to show up there, because you always did eventually.

Sometimes you beat him there, though, and he’d come up the path to find you sitting cross-legged atop the rock and scribbling in a notebook.

He wondered what you did there. Did you journal or write letters? …were you writing _him_ letters, ones that you never sent (if so, would he ever get to read them)? Were you drawing?

He never asked, letting you keep your privacy, and letting you decide when to shatter the bubble of silence you sat in. He would just sit next to you, staying quiet until you turned to him. Then he would talk, unless you spoke first. A prince is polite and hears his people out, after all.

This particular day, you were sitting on the rock when he got there. He sat down, closer to you than normal, though he didn’t look at the paper in your hands, instead looking off towards the Domain.

You turned to him after a few minutes, with a “Well, hello, your highness,” as you shut your notebook.

“Beloved,” he said, shooting you a glance as he blushed a little, “you _know_ you don’t have to call me that.”

“I know,” you replied, smiling, “but I kind of like your reaction when I do.”

He sighed. “Alright. But only if I get to hold you.” As he said this, he lifted you off the rock, probably, you thought, to pull you onto him.

“What!? Sidon, no, I—”

“What?” he asked, concern creeping into his tone. He paused, holding you just above the rock.

“I’m too heavy! I don’t want to crush you.”

“Dearest, don’t be silly. The water’s pressure is much more crushing than your weight, and much as I love the water, it brings me less joy and pleasure than you do.” He pulled you onto his lap. “And I was able to hold you up just fine off the rock, wasn’t I?”

You looked down at your hands in your lap. “Yeah.”

“Exactly.” He kissed the crown of your head. “I hope you don’t mind me saying so, but you always smell so nice,” he said into your hair.

“Oh, thank you,” you replied, sheepish. You would have ducked your head away from Sidon’s mouth had he not just started to run his fingers through your hair, which froze you in place. It felt so nice. “It must be the soap I use,” you added.

“No, I think it’s just you,” he mused, “because even when you’ve been out riding all day, you still smell really nice, this exact scent, under all the sweat.”

“Oh.”

He continued. “And your hair’s so soft, just like the rest of you…” One hand, the one not in your hair, drifted down your side, squeezing you ever so lightly, just enough for the pressure to be noticeable.

You blushed. He must be getting close to a rut; he was always affectionate, but not usually this physically amorous. Not that you were complaining, really. He got very… appreciative—much more so than normal—of your appearance whenever it was nearly time.

You turned your head a little bit to look at him as his nails ghosted down your back, a follow-through from a stroke through your hair. You nearly shivered, anticipating another touch somewhere, anywhere, but forced yourself to ignore that urge to look into Sidon’s eyes.

His pupils were nearly vertical lines in the center of his eyes, surrounded, almost overtaken, by gold and streaks of blue. Yes, he was definitely trying to charm and seduce you.

It was working.

“Thank you,” you finally said, barely moving your tongue within your mouth, making the phrase come out as a whisper, drawing attention to how close you were to him. He lifted you up a little bit, and you leaned in and closed your mouth over his, softly.

It was easy to forget, because of how rarely it happened, how much Sidon enjoyed kissing. Of course, you did as well, but you weren’t the one limiting the frequency. He had so many responsibilities around the Domain, and such a desire to separate his romantic life from those responsibilities (…within reason—he wasn’t ignoring you as the Royal Consort; he just limited displays of affection when you were around the Domain, though he still held your hand almost constantly), that often when you two had a chance to be affectionate, it was just cuddling while falling asleep. Kisses were rare, and reserved for stolen private moments such as these.

When he realized what was happening, he relaxed into the kiss, opening his mouth slightly. You pulled back _just_ a little then, to let him make the next move, which he did fairly soon after, slowly and gently introducing his tongue.

You settled back onto his arm, wrapping your arms around his neck to pull yourself closer to him. The hand that had been in your hair fell from it, and down your side, then came back up to become entangled in your hair again.

You broke away to kiss Sidon’s neck, just above the delicate metal collar… jewelry… thing he wore. He moaned, clearly trying to keep himself quiet (you two weren’t very well hidden, after all) and you smiled against his skin, grazing a rougher patch with the side of your mouth.

When you returned to a lip-lock, he was all the more aggressive, breathing heavily, kissing you like he intended to _devour._ It was startling and exciting all at once, fitting that he would be so feral on the brink of a rut, and you returned the enthusiasm, giggling at him beginning to nibble on your lip, until something sharp pierced it.

Your eyes shot open, and you pulled your face back slightly, scared to jump back with your whole body for fear Sidon would drop you, or hadn’t let go of your lip. The blossoming moan had turned into a distressed wail, and when Sidon opened his eyes and looked at you, licking blood off his teeth and seeing the red rivulets running down your chin, you could see it had all clicked in his mind.

“Oh, my dearest, I’m so sorry. I hadn’t meant to…” He put you back on his lap slowly, looking sad and embarrassed.

“It’s okay. I know it was an accident. It doesn’t even hurt that much. I’m fine. It only looks bad because the blood is mixing with saliva. I’m okay, Sidon, really.” The words tumbled out. But you really were okay. You felt bad; he’d really seemed to be enjoying it up until you’d nearly screamed.

“It’s inexcusable, but you know how when I get near a rut, old fish behavior governs my actions when it comes to fits of passion and— I’m sorry.”

“Sidon, really.” You hugged him, and he laid a hand on your back. “I’m okay. Don’t worry about it.” He rubbed your back a little as you laughed. “But I’m not going anywhere until it clots up, so I’m not just bleeding everywhere.”

He sighed and took off his cravat, lifting your chin so he could see your face and wiped the blood-saliva mix off your chin. “There. We’ll still wait for the bleeding to stop, but… at least you’re cleaned up.”

You took the cravat out of his hand. “…you didn’t have to. This is such a nice bit of cloth.”

“I still have the beautiful one you gave me,” he said, shrugging. “Now I have an excuse to wear it more.”

You smiled. “What a great excuse.”


	3. The Hylian Boxstep

Part of you couldn’t believe that it hadn’t been until now that you were teaching him how to dance like Hylians did. You had chosen to teach him the Hylian Boxstep, which was once only the dance of the nobles, but had spread through the land over time. At least, that’s what Link told you. You figured he’d know; he was over a hundred years old.

Sidon was eager to learn, and had a fluidity of motion that, to be honest, you envied, but the thing that seemed to be troubling you most was how off the proportions were between you—partners for the Boxstep didn’t generally have more than maybe a foot difference between them, and Sidon was significantly taller than that, about twice your height. It made things _difficult_ , though, not _impossible_ , and you carried on as best you could.

Another strange element of this lesson was that you were leading, even though as the taller partner, Sidon should have been. It made you feel… powerful, almost, gently pulling him along with you as you counted to three over and over, moving your feet as your shoes made quiet scratching noises. You’d meant to take off your shoes, but the slight boost they gave your stature was almost necessary at this point, so you were glad they’d stayed on.

As you returned your thoughts to the dance—you couldn’t zone out; you were supposed to be teaching—you noted that Sidon took direction _very well_ , smiling to yourself. Maybe that could be amusing later on, as well.

You gently tapped one of Sidon’s feet forwards, hooking it with your foot and smiling up at him. “There you go. You’re doing well.”

He smiled, too. “I’m glad. It’s so rare that I get to learn a skill that I hadn’t been perfecting since my childhood. Thank you for teaching me, dearest.”

“It’s absolutely my pleasure,” you replied, “do you want to stop for today? I think we’ve made a lot of progress; you deserve a break if you want it.”

“Oh, once more,” he said. “Please?”

You giggled. You couldn’t say no to him asking so nicely like that. Plus, you wouldn’t have said no even if he _hadn’t_ been so polite. You were greatly enjoying this, getting to be so close to him, gently instructing him, feeling the fluid motions as you two swept around the little alcove you had taken over to practice. It was quite pleasant.

You got back into position and began counting the steps, Sidon following you near-perfectly. He really did learn quickly, though you considered that it could be partially because _you_ were teaching him, and he wanted to impress both you and others. No matter _why_ he was making this look easy, you knew it wasn’t, and so you were proud of him.

You hadn’t realized that your counting had trailed off, and you were dancing in a dazed silence, until you had reached the end of the dance, and instead of spinning you and stopping, Sidon had spun you back into his arms and picked you up.

“Oh.” You whispered. “That was very good.”

“I thought so, too,” he said, beaming.

You leaned in, a hand on his cheek, and kissed him.

When you pulled away, he put you back on the ground and cleared his throat. “I hadn’t been expecting that.”

“I didn’t expect you to pick me up,” you teased. “Anyhow, great work. You did really well. But you have to get back to work, don’t you?”

Sidon sighed. “Yes. I’ll come find you when I’m free again.” He bent to kiss your forehead, then walked off, blowing you another kiss as he went.


	4. The War of PDA

It started because you passed Sidon on the way to your rock and he brushed your fingertips with his, saying something about you being “resplendent as the rising sun” that made you blush and hurry your pace so you could reach the rock and bury your head in your hands to squeal. He walked off, headed somewhere opposite, with a small smirk on his face.

He didn’t expect you to retaliate.

Yet again, you two were walking in opposite directions when you reached out and grabbed his hand. When he stopped and looked down at you, you smiled up at him. “I just wanted to get a good look at you,” you said, “I’ve missed your face, O most handsome prince.”

You had expected a roll of the eyes, or a slight flush, but no. Instead, he blushed deeply and squeezed your hand, then kept walking.

You caught up with him later, walking next to him, watching him as you two walked. “I know you like to stare, dearest, but if you’re staring at me seeking beauty, may I suggest a mirror? You are much more beautiful, after all.”

 _Alright_ , you thought, _this is an absolute war_ , to see who could be the cutest, who would fluster the other more. And _you_ were going to step it up _even more_.

You were seated together, enjoying a light dinner of risotto and fish (yours roasted, Sidon’s not), a little earlier in the evening than normal, because some big thing was happening later—it was something you didn’t have to worry about and wouldn’t be going to, but this was your only chance to eat together, so that was what you did. When you’d finished your food, you scooted a little closer to Sidon, placing your hand on top of his and threading your fingers through the gaps in his.

“Hi.” You chirped.

He closed his fingers around the tips of yours, replying “Hello.”

“I know you’ll be busy tonight, but will you be thinking of me?”

“Of course I will, dearest.”

“Good.” You began, “I’ll be thinking of you, too. Wishing we could just stay out here under the clear sky, watching the stars spin above us. I hear there are supposed to be meteors falling soon, too.” You noted. You moved even closer to Sidon. “But no, instead, I’ll be in bed, missing you.”

“Dearest, there’s no need to be so dramatic.” He sighed. “I’ll come get you and we can sit out here and watch the meteors when I get back, okay?”

You jumped up, brushing off your clothes. “Sounds great!” You bent down and kissed Sidon, a tiny, chaste kiss.

Even so, he jumped a little, mumbling out, “Beloved, people are going to see us.”

“All right,” you said then, smiling sweetly, “then I’ll leave.” You blew him another kiss as you walked away.

He did—as promised—come get you, and you did watch the meteor shower together. You watched it from the water, floating while holding hands to keep from floating apart.

You weren’t the only ones watching them, either—the guards all had their faces turned towards the sky as you and Sidon walked back, both yawning and leaning against each other to stay upright; you were that tired.

Still, Sidon hadn’t forgotten your little one-upping battle to out-cute each other, and when the pair of you reached your room, he twirled you before he released your hand. You steadied yourself against the wall, and then wished him a goodnight. _You had to come up with something un-outdo-able to win this war_ , you thought as you settled into bed.

The next morning, it came to you suddenly. In order for your plan to work, Sidon had to be in a particularly affectionate mood, but after your cute night before, and how little time you’d gotten to spend together over the last few days, you figured he would be.

And so, you left your room, hoping you’d run into him along the way to—well, wherever you ended up going. Mostly you were going to walk around on made-up errands until you found him. Maybe you would go dig up some vegetables, too, for the heck of it, to give you a real thing to do.

Luckily, it didn’t take long at all for you to find Sidon—in fact, you sort of walked into him. When he turned and saw it was you, he scooped you up, spinning a little, making you giggle. _Perfect._ When he’d stopped spinning, he didn’t put you down, instead changing your position in his arms slightly. _Even better._ You ran a finger along his jaw, quietly saying “good morning,” and then you kissed him—not like yesterday, which was a little peck. This was a kiss.

You could practically feel the heat radiating off his cheeks as blood rushed to them. But he didn’t push you away. Instead, when you pulled back, he whispered, “Fine. You win.”

You cheered a little, and he put you back on the ground. “Were you waiting to see how far I’d go?”

“Sort of,” he replied. “I never really know what to expect from you when it comes to affectionate displays, so it’s always a pleasant surprise.” He looked around. Not a lot of Zora around, but enough that he would be hearing about this later. His blush returned briefly, then faded. “So, were you going somewhere? I see you have a basket with you.”

“Are you looking for an excuse to get out of here before someone comes to talk to us about appropriate behavior?”

“Perhaps a little bit, yes.”

“Well, I was about to go gather some fruits and vegetables along the path towards Ploymus Mountain. Want to come with?”

Someone was already coming up the staircase towards you two. “Yes.” Sidon said. “Let’s go… _now._ ”


	5. A Brief and Emotional Distraction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometime after the wedding, Sidon finds his spouse reading, and asks to join them.

You were too engrossed in what you were doing, eyes in your lap, to notice that Sidon had approached you and was trying to talk to you.

“Beloved, I’ve been calling you, and looking for you, and—oh, no.”

You looked up, tears rolling down your cheeks, voice barely audible. “Yes, Sidon?”

He immediately dropped to his knees before you, one hand around each of your arms. “My pearl, what’s happened?”

You shook your head weakly. “It’s nothing.”

“You won’t bother me, you know. What’s wrong?”

You shook your head again, wiping at your eyes.

“You don’t have to hide your sorrow from me! I’m your husband, I want to help you, or suffer by your side if necessary. Please, my dearest, let me love you through this, whatever it is, or defeat it. I’m begging you.”

“Sidon, really.” Your voice was much stronger now.

Now he was upset. “Nothing ought to make you cry, and I intend to see to preventing it from now on.”

You couldn’t hold back your laughter anymore. “Sidon, please! You’re being very dramatic.”

He looked up at you, confused. “I’m…”

You smiled, which pushed a few tears down your cheeks again, and lifted the book you had been reading, to show him the cover. “I’m just crying because of the book. I’m okay, really.”

He straightened up. “Oh. I… I see. Well, I _did_ say I would share in your sorrows. Would you mind reading some of the book to me?”

“I’d like that.” You replied, flipping to the page you had been on. Sidon settled himself into a seated position slotted between your legs, his caudal fin in your lap. He arched his neck backwards to look up at you and you stroked his crest with one hand, moving the book up and to the side so you could still pet him and read. You began reading from the book, voice low and soothing.

When you reached the end of the chapter, the both of you were a little misty-eyed. You shut the book with a quiet _thwip_ , saying “I think that’s enough for tonight. What did you want earlier, when you came to get me?”

Sidon blinked up at you. “You know, my love, I don’t remember.”


End file.
